Take to the skies
by RobinCr4
Summary: What is beyond Skyloft's maps? When a insatiably curious knight-in-training and his equally curious crimson loftwing consider new possibilities, it leads them on an unauthorised adventure. The instructors are not happy.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything. If you are reading this, you probably know that.**

 **This is set before Skyward Sword. Personally, I've imagined Link to be about 11-12 years old in this fic, but I'll leave it up to you guys to decide for yourselves.**

 **Reviews are welcome, I want to know what people think (and if anyone actually reads my stuff). Criticism is also welcomed; if I have changed characters or made any mistakes please let me know because I prefer to stay as true to the original as possible. With that out of the way, read on.**

* * *

Sunlight streamed through the window as Link groggily opened his eyes. Sighing, he rolled out of bed and trudged automatically to his wardrobe to get ready. He hadn't checked the time yet, but the fact that he hadn't woken to his regular alarm, meant he had overslept.

After hurriedly pulling on his tunic, pants and boots, the young knight-in-training swept out of his dorm room, grabbing his bag as he left. A glance at the old clock in the hall told him it was half-way through the lesson of the day which was (Link groaned internally) geography of the sky.

Link was not, by any means, bad at geography: in fact he excelled in the subject as he had already explored every inch of floating rock surrounding Skyloft. The fact that he knew the content of the lesson back to front, however, only served to make the class even more tedious.

An impatient rustle at the back of his mind told him his loftwing companion was awake and he was soon hit with the subsequent pang of hunger. Not trusting his lazy bird to get breakfast until it had spent at least ten minutes preening, Link decided to head to the kitchens to satisfy his own growling stomach.

He had only met his loftwing a few years ago, yet they already had a bond that rivalled that of the elders in Skyloft. Every feeling be it sadness, curiosity or mischief was shared between them, though link had practised ignoring it in order to concentrate in knight school. The sooner he became a knight, the sooner he could spend every waking moment in the sky with his bird.

The smell of freshly baked bread wafted through the kitchen as linked walked into the warmth. He had, of course, slept through breakfast to which the cook gave him a light scolding but was presented with a leftover roll nonetheless. All the instructors in the knight academy had become familiar with the young boy's antics and were willing to make exceptions as long as it didn't happen too often.

Hoping not to disappoint Instructor Owlan any further, Link stuffed the soft bread into his mouth as he hurried to the classroom. Once he reached the doorway, he spluttered a short yet sincere apology (along with a small amount of breadcrumbs) at his teacher. The professor simply shook his head and gestured for him to take his seat.

"Out flying late last night were we?" Owlan asked. It was widely known how the boy with the crimson loftwing spent most his nights, though no knight ever saw them long enough to lodge a formal complaint. The fact was, to Link and his partner, there were simply not enough hours in the day to fully enjoy every breeze the sky had to offer.

Link blushed at Instructor Owlan's accusation, both confirming the suspicions surrounding his midnight flights and earning a snicker from Groose and his cronies. Sheepishly, Link took his seat between Fledge and Zelda to endure what was sure to be a lesson of everything he already knew about the sky.

However, there was one possibility he had never considered. It was presented quite unintentionally (through Fledge of all people) by a single, innocent query:

"Professor, what is beyond Skyloft's maps?"

"What a stupid question!" Groose declared, his outburst accompanied with a mocking laugh. "It's just endless sky, right?" Cawlin and Stritch were quick to agree with him.

"Hey! No need to be mean!" Link yelled, jumping to boy's defence. "How do you know anyway, have you checked recently?"

"Calm down boys! There is no need to fly further than we already have so I advise you drop the subject. Now, who can tell me the name of the island 1.5 miles due North-East of the tower of the goddess?"

And that was that. A single seed of curiosity firmly planted in Link's mind, to be amplified tenfold over the next few hours. What was beyond the maps? He had no doubt his equally inquisitive loftwing would want to know too.

The rest of the lesson passed uneventfully and eventually, the sound of the bell signalled the end of the students' torture. Owlan sighed in defeat and dismissed the children with a wave of his hand, letting them all but trip over themselves while leaving the academy's only classroom in blunt eagerness. Link, however, stayed behind to see if he could draw any further information about the edge of the skies from his botany-obsessed professor.

"Link, don't even bother. There is nothing out there and you shouldn't let it bother you." Instructor Owlan had not even looked up to see the unspoken question written on the young student's face.

Link sighed disappointedly, knowing the instructor was not leaving any room for discussion.

"Furthermore, we really need to address the night issue. It's not that I am concerned about your safety - no, you and your loftwing seem to be able to handle any danger just fine – but believe it or not, you do need to sleep, and I would rather you slept during the night rather than during the first half of my lesson." Link smiled guiltily and muttered another apology. As boring as the lessons were, he really did respect his teacher.

"Now go and fly around some with that red bird of yours." Owlan added more softly. "And if you really feel the need to fly until morning, for the Goddess' sake don't let Instructor Horwell catch you."

Link grinned and with no further persuading required, he thanked his instructor and sprinted out of the academy, straight towards the nearest ramp.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey, chapter 2 is done.**

 **Thanks to those who have reviewed so far!**

 **The adventure continues...**

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Wind whipped around Link's falling body as he smiled in the face of the exhilarating free-fall. By the Goddess he loved the sky. No later than a few seconds after he let out a shrill whistle, a burst of crimson flashed in front of his eyes and he was expertly caught by soft, red feathers. The boy and his loftwing took a moment to enjoy each others company, before a tingling sensation of mischief crept into Link's mind. Sensing what his bird was about to do, he braced himself against the warmth of his partner's neck just in time for a spectacular dive towards the cloud barrier.

The young knight had always loved falling – letting the air control him and his movements but this was different. He flattened himself to his bird, watching the cloud barrier get closer and closer as they dived towards it at breakneck speed. Moments before a potential impact with the clouds, a quick roll sent the pair drifting back upwards, dodging rocks as they darted past, faster than the eye could follow. Link crowed in thrill, feeling every sliver of wind that graced his cheeks. Yet, something still felt missing.

Sensing Link's hesitation immediately, his loftwing slowed to a graceful glide to let his master collect his thoughts. As much as they both adored the blue world surrounding Skyloft, every gust of wind and every grain of rock was too familiar. Link longed to once again explore the unknown – to be ignorant of what the next turn will bring. And the second he presented the new possibility to his crimson companion, the longing turned into eagerness.

It was only until later that Link noticed a scrap of paper fluttering in his bird's collar, nestled in between crimson feathers. Landing on a small floating island, he gently unfolded it and was met with Zelda's neat scrawl.

 _Goddess statue, dusk. Don't be late – Zelda_

At this, Link glanced up to the sun. They had been flying and contemplating the larger skies longer than he had anticipated and the world around the was beginning to adopt a dark pink hue. Smiling internally he directed his loftwing back towards Skyloft. His cheeky bird however, had other ideas. He gave Link an impish grin before sending a mental image of the two knights-in-training holding hands on the top of the statue, with a romantic pink dusk in the background. Mortified, Link glared at the bird, making his annoyance apparent but would not be deterred from meeting with his childhood friend. Truth be told, he was anxious to consult Zelda about the morning's geography lesson. Maybe she knew more than Instructor Owlan, being the daughter of the headmaster.

After dropping Link off on top of the Goddess statue, the crimson fowl flew up to join Zelda's own loftwing in order to 'give the lovebirds some privacy'.

In place of a greeting, all Link received was "You're late."

"No I'm not!" Link protested feebly, though there was little denying the steadfast darkening of the sky.

"And you missed sword practice."

"Shoot, that was today? Commander Eagus is going to kill me."

"Don't worry!" Zelda laughed. "He says he'll let you off just this once in consideration of the amount of pumpkin soup you fetch for him." It was true. Since Link was undoubtedly the fastest flier who was willing to do the knight commander's bidding, he often found himself delivering many bottles of the lumpy pumpkin's famous soup.

"You missed lunch as well. Do you want to head to the bazaar to grab something before curfew?" Zelda's causal question reminded Link that all he had eaten was a roll in the morning and he was now painfully aware of his empty stomach. He hadn't realized until now, as his bird had been eating all day, thus sharing it's feeling of satisfaction.

"Yeah, lets do that." Link agreed. "I guess we don't have enough time to fly all the way to the lumpy pumpkin, do we?"

"Well maybe you do, but my loftwing and I like to sleep thank you. And not during geography either."

"Speaking of," Link began as the pair made their way over to the large purple tent, "what did you think?"

"Of what?"

"Of the larger sky; the world beyond our maps."

"You heard the instructor – there's nothing out there."

"Has anyone ever checked?"

"Link, don't get any ideas. We don't need to explore further, we have everything we could ever want on this island."

"But think about it!"

"Link..."

"IF there was more, IF there was a huge cluster of islands no one has ever been to, wouldn't you want to explore them?"

"No, I would not. For one, we would be in huge trouble with everyone in Skyloft, not to mention we would starve within a few days. And that's IF there's something out there, which there clearly isn't."

Link had no reply for this. There was a long silence between them as they made their way to the Piper's restaurant. Finally, he spoke softly

"You're right. I was getting ahead of myself. Dinner's on me?"

Zelda laughed and slapped him teasingly. They both knew Link had no rupees to speak of, and they were both getting free meals as students of the knight academy. The light-hearted mood restored, they enjoyed the rest of their soup in peace as Zelda helpfully summarized the multiple sword techniques Link had missed. There was no further mention of the great beyond or flying of any sort.

Link, however, while listening to Zelda and nodding in the right places, was concentrating very hard, in hopes his loftwing would pick up the urgency in his thoughts, as well as the underlying message.

 _Beyond the maps. Tonight._

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 **Sniff sniff. Smells like cliffhanger.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Haha! I'm back with another chapter. Hope everyone enjoys, even though the story hasn't kicked off yet.**

 **-I have nothing against red-heads.**

* * *

"I'm stuffed. I don't think I could eat another bite!" Zelda laughed, as they made their way back towards the knight academy. A quiet evening meal had turned into an eating competition and before long, the two kids were clutching their bursting stomachs while enduring a hefty berating from the restaurant's less-than-pleased Piper.

"Are you going out with your loftwing again tonight, Link? You know you really should get some sleep sometimes. Instructor Horwell has arranged a flight training session tomorrow morning and it wouldn't look great if you fell asleep on that demanding bird of yours." Zelda had made it clear on several occasions that she wouldn't cover for him, no matter how good friends they were.

Instead of his usual sheepish grin, Link smiled brightly.

"Don't worry, I'm going straight to bed. I want to be up early for Horwell's lesson tomorrow!"

"If you say so..." Zelda glanced at her companion suspiciously. Since when did he agree so easily? They entered the academy through the large doors on the upper floor, due to the locked state of the downstairs entrance. "Night then." she announced as they reached her bedroom door.

"Night Zelda!" Came the reply.

 _Maybe I'll just check if he really is going to bed._ Thought Zelda as her flight-addicted friend hummed his way down the stairs. Careful, so as to not let Link see her, she leaned over the stairs just as Link entered his room and shut the door. _Huh, maybe he really has grown up a bit,_ she mused. _He's finally taking some responsibility._

* * *

Meanwhile, Link was in his room haphazardly rummaging through his belongings. He had already emptied his cabinet and half his wardrobe in search of the pouch Fledge had given him for his birthday. It was deceptively small, yet somehow managed to fit enough supplies to last at least a week. _Maybe if I ration my food, I can last two,_ Link though to himself. _Or I could borrow a training sword and bow and hunt while I'm away. I don't think I have it in me to be hungry. Ah, there it is!_

Despite systematically planning his unauthorised field trip, Link was bursting with excitement, amplified twofold by his equally eager Loftwing. By the time he had packed his ink, quill and spare parchment plus a few other gizmos, it was nearly 11. His bird waited eagerly on the academy roof while examining the grounds for the poor knights stuck on with night patrol.

Wincing as his door creaked open, Link crept out of his room and towards the kitchen. He felt a pang of guilt as he reached for some stale bread, but it was quickly overridden by the thrill of what he was about to do. He didn't touch any fresh food out of respect for the cook, who had taken pity on him for sleeping through breakfast more times than he could remember. Hopefully, nobody would notice anything was missing. He also had several snacks that he had accumulated throughout the year for such occasions, such as a few packets of nuts, dried fruit and berries plus a sack of his bird's favourite pumpkin seeds.

Confident he was prepared for the long journey ahead, Link tiptoed back up the stairs. He held his breath as he passed Zelda's room, praying to the Goddess she had fallen for his act. Once again, he felt slightly guilty for deceiving her but knowing that she would forgive him, he refocused on the task at hand.

Getting into the training hall was no easy feat on most days, but by a stroke of luck the student with the task of locking up had done a lousy job and left a gloriously large window open for Link to crawl through. The back room was well stocked with training weapons; so much so, that Link was confident the sudden disappearance of a single sword would go unnoticed. Selecting his favourite – a small but sharp double edge with a simple leather grip – Link turned to leave. After a brief moment of hesitation, he grabbed a bow too: specially designed for aerial combat. With a sheath, quiver and a generous handful of arrows, Link left the way he came – this time carefully closing the window behind him so as to spare whichever lazy knight who had so graciously left in open, from a scolding.

Just he was about to head up to meet his bird, Link realized with a touch of annoyance he had left his compass in his room. He dashed back into the academy impatiently. At this rate it would be morning by the time he left.

Upon reaching his room, he groaned loudly. His stuff was strewn over every surface from his earlier pouch hunt, thus it dawned on him it would take a considerable amount of time to find his tiny, school issued compass. _That's okay,_ Link thought, _I can just use the sun and stars. We learned that last year! Though I'm not sure how much I remember..._

Snapping out of his thoughts, the young knight closed his bedroom door behind him gingerly, now hyper aware of how much noise he had made on entrance. No sooner had he taken one silently placed step, than the door opposite his flew open, revealing a red-headed boy with a triumphant grin plastered on his face.

"Aha! I caught you, Link!" Groose crowed. Link shut his eyes in despair. Now the loudmouth was going to wake the instructors and he'd never get to go exploring. Meanwhile Groose circled him grinning smugly. "You think you're so clever, sneaking around at midnight, getting away with everything. Just wait 'till I tell on you to Headmaster Gaepora you were trying to go flying around Skyloft at night!"

Link looked up in confusion. Flying around Skyloft was the least of his intentions but it seemed the dim witted pest in front of him hadn't caught on. Yet.

"Don't try to play dumb! I know you're the one rumoured to fly around all night. And I caught you! How did I figure it out, I hear you ask? Well, there is the simple answer: I'm just too smart – but I'll explain it slowly so you can understand. You see, it was all a matter of elimination. It couldn't be Fledge as..."

Blocking out the red-head's ramblings, Link racked his brain, thinking of a way to get out of this. Groose thought he was just going flying; that could work to his advantage. He could go back to his room, pretending to decide not to go after all, but Groose would tell the instructors anyway, then he'd be under intense scrutiny and never get a chance to leave. He's never win in a fight: hand-to-hand combat was one of the few areas where Groose excelled with his brutish build and strength.

"I mean, it couldn't be more obvious! What else could you possibly be doing in the middle of the night wearing black leather riding gear and – is that a sword?" Link gulped. He had really hoped Groose wouldn't notice the sword. "You stole a training sword!"

"Sshh!" Link urged, looking around them worridly. "Please keep it down!"

"Or what?" Groose demanded, determinded to get the boy in trouble.

"Or I'll... I'll... " Link racked his mind. "I'll tell Zelda you like her!" He blurted.

The reaction he received was not the one he expected, for he had no idea his bluff would work, nor was it a particularly pleasant one. Groose's face turned several shades of pink, before settling on a deep red, almost as bright as his hair. He then grinned pervertedly and sank to the floor, swaying as if drunk.

"Hee hee hee... Zelda...hee...hee" While Link stood there dumbfounded at this sudden transformation, he felt his loftwing laughing hysterically at the sight before him. "You won't tell her, will you Linky? I just don't know what I'd DO if she found out; maybe shout at me...though then she'd be looking at me..hee..hee...hee"

Attempting to free his leg, which Groose was now cuddling and rubbing his blushing face against, Link stood as straight as he could.

"Fine, I won't tell her."

"Oh thank you, thank you Linkyyyy!"

"So long as you keep quiet about my little midnight trip OK? And so long as you **Ngh!** let go of my leg!"

"Hee...hee..ok...anything else?"

"Actually yes," Link smirked, "You don't happen to have a compass do you?"

Not five minutes later, compass in hand, Link reached his loftwing on the roof of the knight academy. Most of the ramps were manned (or birded) at this hour, so his best bet would be to fly straight up. If he was fast enough, he could glide above the night patrol where they would look to often. His gear, which he had saved up for with the minimal allowance they were given each week by the academy, was jet black, complete with a mask and hood. He had pulled out a lot of favours at the bazaar to keep the shop owner from selling it to anyone else, or telling the headmaster he had it. It was the main reason he had gotten so far without getting caught. Of course, his bird was a dead giveaway, but colours were hard to distinguish by the light of the stars alone.

In a rush of silent air, Link and his loftwing were streaming through the air, bolting straight up to the upper clouds. As one, they glided over the statue, deciding on north as a direction to start in. The adrenaline from preparing for the journey wore of, Link felt his exhaustion catch up with him. Comforted by the rustling of his bird's warm, red feathers, he drifted into a gently, dreamless sleep.

* * *

 **The adventure begins!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Sorry, this one is a short chapter, but to make up for it, I promise I'll get the next one done soon OK?**

* * *

Stifling a yawn, Zelda gazed out of the window distractedly. She could barely pay attention to the instructor pacing up and down the front of the classroom in an attempt to convey the importance of history to a group of pre-teen knights-in-training. It had been over an hour for breakfast and Link hadn't showed up. _I guess he sneaked out after all..._ Zelda thought with a touch of irritation. _When will he learn?_

The lesson dragged on as the sun rose higher and higher and still Link had yet to be seen. Even when at last the large bell rang, signalling the end of the tedious lecture, there was still no sign of the blond boy. Zelda debated bursting into his room and waking up the lazy slacker, to save him from the heck he would receive from the instructors, but eventually decided to leave him be. If he was going to lie to her, then sleep through the entire day, he could damn well face the consequences.

Steadfast in her decision, Zelda sauntered to the kitchens to collect her lunch then spent the rest of the day making easy conversation with Fledge and avoiding Groose's ill-disguised advances.

* * *

As Zelda suspected, Link was indeed asleep, just not sprawled across his bed in his room, like one would imagine. Instead, he was precariously balanced on his bird, who was equally inert being in the middle of a mid-air nap. They had been flying for the best part of the morning, until Link woke with a start, the realisation of their situation hitting him with the force of an autumn gale. He gazed at the endless sea of sky surrounding them, squinting for even the smallest sign of a floating rock.

Shaking his sleeping bird awake, Link reached for his – Groose's – compass. Sometime during the hours he had been unconscious, they had drifted off course and were now heading somewhat north-north-west. The sun was bright and shining in the sky, making his loftwing's crimson feathers glow. Link nestled more comfortably into the bird's warm back, as the pair glided on through the perfect day, content to be in each other's company.

Around mid afternoon, judging by the sun, Link removed his bread roll from his pouch, taking care not to cover the remaining contents with stale crumbs. He had already anticipated that it may take a long time for them to reach any kind of island. Thankfully, his bird was more than happy to fly for days on end, having speed and stamina which rivalled even the most experienced loftwings, meaning the only real danger that flying for a long period of time posed, boredom.

* * *

Zelda sat, miserably stirring the remains of her cold pumpkin soup around the small wooden bowl. Around her, the only occupants of the room were the owner of the pub, and Rusta, who was currently in the middle of a drunken snooze. Zelda had flown to the Lumpy Pumpkin straight after ancient languages for a nice hot meal, but almost as soon as she arrived, the rain had set in. What began as a drizzle, became a torrential downpour and a raging gale in minutes.

"Looks like you might have to stay the night little missy" said Pumm, absent-mindedly washing plates. "Y'can borrow my daughter Kina's bed if you like. She's busy around Skyloft at the moment y'see. Helping ol' Greba with her pumpkin patch"

"Thank you, that's very kind" replied Zelda, gazing out into the stormy sky. It was hard to tell for the mass of the black storm clouds, but the sun had most likely set. Her loftwing, hating rain with a passion, was permitted to nestle in the corner of the warm pub out of the owner's sympathy for the soggy purple bird. Sensing her rider's gloom, she chirruped reassuringly, then settled down for the night. Zelda sighed once more, then thanked Pumm for the soup before heading to the small room by the back door.

As depressing as the weather was, it wasn't the main cause of Zelda's worry. It was the fact that Link had not been seen all day that made the headmaster's daughter shiver beneath the thick blankets. _Maybe he's sick..._ Thought Zelda sleepily, listening to the howling wind rattling the shutters. _I guess I have to wait until tomorrow to check on him. That is, if this blasted storm lets up. I just hope he has the sense to not go out flying in this weather. Not even his stubborn loftwing can fly in a storm this strong._

* * *

Through a sea of rain, small hands scrabbled to find purchase on sodden feathers as both bird and rider were mercilessly ravaged by the shrieking winds. Neither were in control as they were flung side to side, spiralling deeper into the storm. The crimson loftwing screeched in panic, though the ear-splitting sound was drowned out by the relentless pounding of rain. Somewhere overhead, thunder boomed as golden streaks of lightning began hailing down around them. The knight gave a silent cry as there was a blinding flash of light. Then darkness.

* * *

 **I am now making it a point to end on cliffhangers. (They're so fun!)**

 **Am I evil?**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hi everyone! I thought it would be too cruel to let that cliffy hang for too long, so, as promised, here is chapter 5.**

 **Thank you to everyone who has reviewed, even those who haven't, thank you just for reading my stuff. I really appreciate it!  
**

* * *

Link opened his eyes slowly, letting them adjust to the blinding sunlight. _Where am I?_ He thought groggily. Over on his right, the gentle murmur of a trickling waterfall gave the area a refreshing cool, while the bright morning sun warmed the rocks. Soft grass spread across the area, littered with small shrubs and golden flowers. Link stood up shakily, gazing at his surroundings with awe.

"Wow," he said aloud, "This island is amazing!" He waited for the customary chirp of agreement but it did not come. For the first time since waking up, Link noticed, with no shortage of dread, that he was alone.

Panic set in, as Link shook his head, struggling to breathe. _No no this can't be happening. Where are you? Where are you? WHERE ARE YOU?_ Memories of the storm came flooding back. Memories of rain, wind, thunder. Memories of the flash of lightning that collided with the flying pair, then memories of crippling panic as he felt himself slip off his bird's back, his hands, numb with cold, unable to hold on. Just as he was about to scream, there was a stir in the back of his mind. Link straightened up abruptly, as a sort of calming pulse echoed through his head. The blond breathed deeply with relief. His loftwing was close. And safe.

However, they were still apart. And though he could feel his bird's gentle breathing, the loftwing was not conscious as they were, after all, struck by lightning. Still giddy with relief and a newfound determination, Link set off climbing to higher ground, oblivious to the pair of eyes following his every move.

* * *

"Thank you so much for letting me stay the night sir." Zelda thanked, over a bowl of cereal. The morning had brought a bright sun, and with it a glowing mood.

"No bother, no bother," smiled Pumm good-naturedly, "though if you wouldn't mind, do y'think your bird there could fly up and check the roof for me? I worry it might have been struck by lightning in the night"

"Of course! It's the least we can do. Especially since you let her sleep inside. I hope she wasn't too much of a bother."

"Nonsense! No bird should have to spend the night in torrential rain. Kina would have never forgiven me if I hadn't let that loftwing o' yours bunk in here" The two shared a chuckle over this. Zelda was quite close to Kina and knew her quirks as well as anyone.

"Well, I'd better be going then. Classes are probably cancelled today, to help with any reconstruction."

"Take care now!" called Pumm as Zelda left through the battered door. Moments later, she poked her head back into the pub.

"Your roof is intact by the way," she smiled. "Looks like you got lucky sir"

"Thanks a dozen lass!"

* * *

Back in Skyloft, it seemed most of the buildings had also survived the thunderstorm. Knights and students of the academy could be seen on the roofs of the few unlucky houses that hadn't, calling to each other and passing materials. A few waved to her as she flew around the island looking where she might be needed.

"Heey!" called a knight currently fixing a broken windmill. "Headmaster Gaepora was looking for you over by the academy!"

Zelda called back her thanks then headed towards the school. _I wonder what he wants?_ She thought. _He was probably worried about me. Father can be a bit overprotective sometimes._

Unfortunately, the academy didn't seem to escape the storm unscathed. The large bell which formerly sat proudly on top of the school had toppled down and made a sizeable dent in the roof. Next to it were Zelda's irritated father and Professor Owlan, desperately trying to calm the pacing headmaster.

"Hello Father" She called, dismounting her purple loftwing.

"Zelda! Thank goodness you're safe" Gaepora called, bringing his daughter into a crushing embrace.

"I'm fine, I was just stranded at the Lumpy Pumpkin, that's all" Instructor Owlan also looked relieved, but his face was soon riddled with concern again.

"And what of Link? Was he not with you?"

Zelda frowned. "No, I haven't seen him in a couple of days. He isn't here?"

"Oh dear" Instructor Owlan sighed. "We'd better go check his room."

* * *

Meanwhile, Link had made it to the top of what appeared to be a large hill. _Wow,_ he breathed. _This place must be bigger than Skyloft!_ The whole island was alive with trees, rivers and even mountains. On his way up the grassy knoll, Link had passed many small plants, bursting with small, white berries. He had never seen anything like them before and after eyeing them suspiciously, decided to refrain from eating any.

While the island was a sight to behold, there was no sign of his bird, or even a crimson feather in sight. Cupping his hands together, he let out a shrill whistle, the one he usually used to call his bird in mid-air. He did not expect a reply, but the familiar rustle in his mind was all the reassurance he needed. _I'm coming,_ he projected through their link. _Don't worry, I will find you._

Sighing, but not without hope, Link scooted down the hill into a patch of trees. Despite achingly missing his loftwing, he felt a rush of excitement. He had actually done it! He had found an island that no one in the sky knew about! Scrambling through the dense foliage, Link felt like a true explorer. Unable to help himself, he broke into a huge grin, then continued through the forest.

* * *

 **If you haven't reviewed yet, or even if you have, feel free to review again. It's a massive ego boost either way :p  
I will try to upload chapters more often, 'cause now I have a mre clear idea of where I'm going with this.**

 **See you soon!  
Robin x**


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